As Yangtze River dam rises, questions arise

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FENGJIE, China (CNN) -- This small city, an ancient cultural center along the Yangtze River in central China, is doomed to disappear as the world's largest dam takes shape. The controversial Three Gorges dam project also calls for the forced relocation of more than 1 million people by the 2009 completion date.

But will such large-scale disruptions be outweighed by the presumed benefits of the multi-billion dollar dam? Opinion is divided.

Damming the Yangtze -- the world's third-longest river -- will create a reservoir 365 miles (600 km) long.

But the dam's opponents are not convinced. The project is one China cannot afford but will reap huge profits for some companies, says anti-dam activist Dai Qing.

The new dam-formed lake will force more than a million people from their homes

Critics also point out that pollution in Chongqing -- where countless streams of raw sewage already pour directly into the Yangtze -- could become even worse when the river is dammed and pollutants cannot be flushed to the sea.

"It's just like a timebomb," adds Prof. Liang Congjie of Friends of Nature. "We don't have the right to pass such a big risky project to our grandsons."

China's government says such problems have been considered and will be solved.

In Fengjie, many of the Chinese being forced from their homes by the project told CNN they're happy to cooperate with the government and move elsewhere, but Dai insists there is widespread opposition.

People are afraid to speak their minds, she says. (127K/12 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

The relocations also present the potential for clashes between corrupt officials and residents angry over inadequate planning, international human rights groups have warned.

Despite critics at home and abroad, many Chinese seem willing to pay the price, and take the risks, to build the world's biggest dam.